Defend the rights of the hunger strikers

We call your attention to the suffering of around 1800 Palestinian prisoners who have been on hunger strike, most of them for more than 30 days. Some are now refusing to take water. The health of all of them is in grave danger.

The prisoners are hunger striking for basic rights – the end of imprisonment without trial, decent treatment including family visits and their message must be listened to.

The Red Cross has a role in relation to prisoners in Palestine, but the families of prisoners are saying that they are not helping. The families of prisoners have issued a call for help and this is directed at the ICRC: they say..

“While Palestinian prisoners in “Israeli” occupation jails are fighting their battle and demanding their rights as political prisoners and human beings. the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) refuses to uphold its responsibility towards our prisoners.

ICRC has always bragged about its neutral nature and role in observing conditions of prisoners, however they remain silent while over 1500 prisoners mark their 31 days of hunger strike living only on water after the prison administrations have confiscated salt from them. This is not the first time where ICRC remains silent when prisoners are on hunger strike and being punished by “Israeli” prison administration. ICRC silence and refusal to meet with prisoners inside their sections and rooms can be only interpreted as collaboration and conniving with “Israeli” occupation forces.

“ICRC failure to attend to this cause contributes to the aggravation of the crisis and putting the lives of the prisoners at stake.”

We want to see family visits restored to Palestinian prisoners and believe that the ICRC must take a real stand to defend the rights of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. We are writing to ask for your immediate attention to this matter.